Cooking Troop Program Feature for Scouts BSA

BSA has created updated versions of the Troop Program features for Scouts BSA. The Cooking program feature is available in digital format on the BSA website or can be purchased as a publication from you local Scout Shop.

The Cooking feature teaches Scouts how to make their favorite food and discover new recipes for use at home and at camp. Scouts learn the satisfaction of preparing their own meals. The program feature includes some general information and some more specific ideas for meetings:

• Learn how to safely prepare and store food
• Understand the nutritional content of food
• Learn about different spices
• Find out about different cooking methods: bake, broil, boil, pan-fry, stir-fry, deep-fry, microwave, roast, simmer, steam, and stew
• Consider special cooking events in their troop: family cooking day, Dutch oven competitions, food field trips, cooking as a fundraiser

Suggested troop meeting ideas are grouped by essential, challenging, or advanced. Here are a few you can see in the guide.

• Learn the basic components of cooking: time, ingredients, recipes, cookware, heat sources , technique (essential)
• Consider how the basics can be used for a dinner menu (essential)
• Review the dinner menu (challenging)
• Prepare a dessert (advanced)
• Learn about safety and burns (essential)
• Learn about safe food handling (challenging)
• Study the My Plate model (advanced)
• Plan a full menu for a weekend campout
• Learn basic methods of cooking (essential)
• Run a station to teach others a cooking method (challenging)
• Run stations for Dutch oven cooking and backpacking cooking (advanced)

There are also several games suggested to keep things interesting at your troop meetings

• Flapjack-Flipping Relay
• Cooking Kim’s Game
• What’s Cooking?
• Potato Peel Relay
• “Chopped” Camp Style

The plan even provides Scoutmaster’s minutes and ceremonies for meetings.

Then there is the “Main Event”. Once again, there are suggestions for essential, challenging, or advanced. Details and planning aids can be found in the online guide.

• Cook at a main event (essential)
• Hold a cooking competition (challenging)
• Cook without pots, pans, and utensils (advanced)

Find some related helps and achievements for the Cooking Troop Program Feature below.

Favorite Recipes for Scouts and Camping

I love to cook, both at home and at camp. Here is a list of the recipes on my site. Do you have a recipe you’d like to share? Contact me and I’ll share it.

Scouts BSA Tenderfoot Cooking Requirements Helps and Documents

Tenderfoot requirement 2 focuses on camp cooking: On the campout, assist in preparing one of the meals. Tell why it is important for each patrol member to share in meal preparation and cleanup. While on a campout, demonstrate the appropriate method of safely cleaning items used to prepare, serve, and eat a meal. Explain the importance of eating together as a patrol.

Scouts BSA First Class Cooking Requirements Helps and Documents

First Class requirement 2 is all about cooking. Scouts learn about the equipment and planning necessary to prepare a meal. They also learn how to safely store food and dispose of garbage.

Scouts BSA Second Class Cooking and Tools Requirements Helps and Documents

Second Class requirement 2 is related to cooking and outdoor skills. Scouts learn how to prepare a fire, cook outdoors, safely prepare and store foods, and tie some knots.

Dutch Oven Cooking

Dutch oven cooking is one of my favorite ways to make meals and desserts at camp. Put the ingredients in, put some charcoal on the top and bottom, come back later, and voila! you have a delicious dish. Do you have a Dutch oven recipe you'd like to share? Contact me and I'll share it.

Cooking Merit Badge Helps and Documents

Scouts learn about food safety, nutrition, and cooking techniques while working on the Cooking merit badge. They also have to plan , prepare, and cook meals at camp, at home, and on the trail. The Cooking merit badge is required for the rank of Eagle.

Cooking on a Stick

The easiest method of cooking at camp might be cooking on a stick. No muss. No fuss. No cleanup. 🙂 So here are a few recipes and ideas for cooking on a stick Do you have a cooking on a stick recipe you’d like to share or a photo? Contact me and I’ll add it here.

Foil Pack Dinners

The most typical foil pack ingredients are ground beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions. But don't get stuck in a rut! Try some new combinations.

Trail Food

When you are on the trail, you don't have a way to keep food cool and you want something which will provide energy, will travel well, and is lightweight. Trail mix is a popular trail food and there are many possible combinations. Or with a small trail stove, you can heat something up with water.

Cooking Ranger Core Requirement Helps and Documents

To earn complete the Cooking core requirement for the Venturing Ranger award, Venturers must plan and cook several camp meals.

Camping Recipes: Cook Your Favorite Foods at Camp

Sometimes Scouts have trouble coming up with new ideas when planning meals for camp. Foil packs, hamburgers, hotdogs, repeat. Get creative with some new ideas.

Easy Recipes for Camp Cooking

Camp cooking can offer some challenges, but it can also be very rewarding. Many people stick to hotdogs and hamburgers at camp. But it is easy and fun to get a little more creative. So here are some recipes to put in your camping cookbook.

Woodgas Camp Stove Review

This is a self contained camp stove which burns twigs, charcoal, wood pellets, etc. It has a small battery powered fan to draw air.